Outgoing Tribune, Publius Sextius Laevus, asked me to lead a ceremony on behalf of our new Tribunes who soon take office.

Today I conducted this ceremony of behalf of the Concilium Plebis. The transcript is as follows:

PURIFICATIO:

I. Purificatio

The head is to be covered (capite velato) as this is a Roman rite

[light incense coals]

[Burned mint in order to purify the ritual space]

[Wash both hands in clean water and thoroughly dry. While doing this speak the following words.]

May this water cleanse my body of impurities, as lead is changed to gold. May this water cleanse my body of impurities, as the rain cleanses the air. Purify my mind. Purify my body. Purify my heart. It is so.

[Sprinkle clean water on the altar]

II. PraefatioDepart, oh depart those not here to make the profanus sacer! All remaining your attention! Silence, hold your tounges, this ceremony begins.

Mater Vesta, also known as the perpetual guardian of the hearth, family, and community, queen of perennial fire, protector of the Roman people! Vesta, or unless you prefer some other name, I pray and beseech you to attend this Concilium Plebis (make adoratio). Upon this Concilium Plebis may your favor be present and in doing so allow for good greetings and offerings to be made to you and those Gods and Goddesses which it is good to call upon. In doing so, may you allow pious smoke rise to the heavens. By this act remind me of the noble virtues. Mater Vesta, to you my voice lifts in praise as by this rite and through your benevolence, I am allowed to approach you. As your sacred flame in the past demonstrated your divine good faith, allow your sovereignty to reign over the fire before us. As you attended to the Roman people of old, attend to your Roman people of the present. Queen of perennial fire, on this Concilium Plebis and if it is your will, grant your aid to the newly elected magistrates who assume office in the next few days. Similarly, smile upon all magistrates and servants of your Roman people. For all these causes, be present and kindle the flames before us! For your kind support, I shall offer milk in hopes that it is pleasing to you.

{light lamps / candels / burners}

Pater Ianus, from whom all things proceed, biformed God, heavenly gatekeeper, good creator, the God of good beginnings and the years gliding by in silence, who alone among the immortal celestials sees his own back! Ianus, or unless you prefer some other name, I pray and beseech you to attend this Concilium Plebis (make adoratio). With your kind favor open the way forward and aid our task at hand. Ianus, on this Concilium Plebis facilitate communication with yourself, and Father Iupiter and all the Gods and Goddesses for which it is pious to recognize. Ianus, as you allowed Rome to rise to great heights, allow your Roman people of the present to have good beginnings. As you enabled pious contact with the divine in the past, now allow such contact in the present and future. With a nod open your gleaming gates onto peaceful precincts and favor the newly elected magistrates who assume office in the next few days. Similarly, smile upon all magistrates and servants of your Roman people on this Concilium Plebis. Towards these ends be increased by this offering of frankincense made before you now.

{make offering}

Ianus, it has been done!

Mater Vesta, also known as the perpetual guardian of the hearth, family, and community, queen of perennial fire, protector of the Roman people! If it is your will to attend this ceremony on this Concilium Plebis, and if it is pleasing to you, be increased by this offering of milk made before you now.

{make offering}

Vesta, it has been done!

III. Salutatio

Father Iupiter or guardian of Rome and its people, lord of the Gods and Goddesses, the holder of vows, Optimus Maximus, Saviour, Victor and unconquered protector of the nation, or Iupiter bringer of light, heavenly father, of lightning and thunder, or unless you prefer some other name, by your majesty attend to this Concilium Plebis.

Father Iupiter, you have long blessed the Roman people with your divine presence. You were present when King Romulus pronounced the unification of the Roman people into one. You provided King Numa insight into your divine will. You supported the earliest leaders of the ancient Roman Republic with your divine patronage. In return your dutiful clients, the Roman people, proclaimed you the first and greatest of the celestials.

Towards these ends grant assistance to the newly elected magistrates who assume office in the next few days. Similarly, smile upon all magistrates and servants of your Roman people on this Concilium Plebis. Father Iupiter, king of the heavens, hear the prayers and vows of our elected magistrates and support them this year! Aid them in the tasks they head if these duties further your aims and those of the Roman people who are good unto you!

Towards these ends be increased by this offering of frankincense burned before you now, and if it pleases you.

{MAKE OFFERING}

It is done!

Similarly, may all the Gods who have raised the might of Rome and its culture to the fullest eminence of the world attend this ceremony if it should please them.

IV. Precatio

[wash hands again in pure water]

[touching the altar with the left hand say]

Father Iupiter or guardian of Rome and its people, lord of the Gods and Goddesses, the holder of vows, Optimus Maximus, Saviour, Victor and unconquered protector of the nation, or Iupiter bringer of light, heavenly father, of lightning and thunder, or unless you prefer some other name, it was traditional for our forefathers to offer you a white heffer on this day, which is dedicated to you. In recognition of this ancient tradition, an offering of oak leaves is being made as a substitute. If this is pleasing may you recognize this offering as equivalent to that made by our pious forefathers who sought your divine patronage.

Oh, Iupiter Optimus Maximus, on this day it is right to observe your divine presence and patronage. You have long blessed the Roman people with your divine presence. You were present when King Romulus pronounced the unification of the Roman people into one. You provided King Numa insight into your divine will. You supported the earliest leaders of the ancient Roman Republic with your divine patronage. In return your dutiful clients, the Roman people, proclaimed you the first and greatest of the celestials.

Oh, Father Iupiter, I recognize your divine sovereignty! Lord of the Gods and Goddesses, heavenly patron of Rome, greatest of the great, patron of the leadership of the Republic and Cultus Deorum Romanorum. Devine Iupiter, your kind benevolence, and generous patronage are recalled and honored! Your divine presence allowed Rome and its people extraordinary success, and our ancestors are honored and remembered for their deeds performed under your divine patronage. Towards these ends, and in recognition of you, I observe this day.

Father Iupiter or guardian of Rome and its people, lord of the Gods and Goddesses, the holder of vows, Optimus Maximus, Saviour, Victor and unconquered protector of the nation, or Iupiter bringer of light, heavenly father, of lightning and thunder, for these reasons, towards this aim, in recognition of your benevolence, and if it pleases you, accept this offering of oak leaves which I have placed before you and will give unto you.

[place offering on altar]

Oh, Father Iupiter, if this offering of oak leaves pleases you, offer your aid towards the newly elected magistrates who soon assume office. Similarly, smile upon all magistrates and servants of your Roman people.

[wash hands again in pure water]

V. Immolatio

Oh, Father Iupiter Optimus Maximus, guardian of the Roman People, Lord of the Gods and Goddesses (adoratio). We offer you these oak leaves now given up to you and towards the appeal made. Father Iupiter, be strengthened by this offering of oak leaves presented before you now!

[burn offering]

It has been done!

VII. Litatio

[Quietly contemplate the Gods and Goddesses, and watch for signs. Preferably performed while sitting.]

VIII. Piaculum

Blessed Ianus if the appeals and offerings made in this ceremony have caused unbeknownst offense, please accept my deep regret and recall my good intentions towards you.

Divine Ianus, towards these ends accept this additional offering of wine which I place before you, as a sign of my reverence and good will towards you.

(make offering)

Blessed Iupiter if the appeals and offerings made in this ceremony have caused unbeknownst offense, please accept my deep regret and recall my good intentions towards you.

Father Iupiter, towards these ends accept this additional offering of wine which I place before you, as a sign of my reverence and good will towards you.

(make offering)

Blessed Vesta if the appeals and offerings made in this ceremony have caused unbeknownst offense, please accept my deep regret and recall my good intentions towards you.

Mother Vesta, towards these ends accept this additional offering of milk which I place/burn before you, as a sign of my reverence and good will towards you.

(make offering)

Mater Vesta, or unless you prefer some other name, it is right to offer you thanks and honor as you provided your flame during this ceremony. Towards my gratitude be strengthened by this additional libation of milk now made before you.

[make offering]

(blow out lamp)

This ceremony is concluded! Go now satisfied that these acts performed are to honor the Gods and Goddesses and preserve the pax deorum!

Gratias agimus tibi Brute, Martis et Minervae Sacerdos, for this invocation on this solemn occasion. These prayers speak to the hopes and wishes in the hearts of our Citizens of all faiths.

For truly on this occasion we look both backward over this the year through which we have just traversed, and at the same time look with great hope on the new year as it commences.

We as a community have come through the rough turbulent flare-ups and losses we deeply felt early in the year to the captivating races in Circus Livius.

The addition of the Legio XI Claudia Pia Fidelis has given our Republic a 'boots on the ground'* presence and an added dimention to our Republic. That example would be good to be followed throughout our Republic, seeking balance between our local face-to-face and our global virtual communities.

We are grateful for the continued presence amongst us of two of our founding members Lucius Curtius Philo and Lucius Vitellius Triarius and we pray for their continued recovery.

We have work ahead of us in this coming year to accommodate younger members in the life of our growing community, to engender the love of Rome, of virtue, of Romanitas that we have with the those growing into the age of maturity.

The Forum is at the center of our civic life. It is where we come together as a community. We need it to be common ground. It is where we need to make the effort to better understand eachother, to work through the language and cultural differences that challenge a global Republic.

This charge is rested on the shoulders of our new Plebeian Tribunes and Aediles, to help build up the Republic in a way that protects the rights and growth of the people of our Republic.

On this the eve of their induction into office, I thought I might take the occasion to address our newly elected tribunes and aediles.

My famed ancestor, the historian T. Livius, tells us of the birth of this assembly and its officers. After Rome's enemies had taken advantage of the civil strife dividing patrician and pleb one too many times, a solution was finally sought:

Ab urbe condita, II.33 wrote:Steps were taken towards harmony, and a compromise was effected on these terms: the plebeians were to have magistrates of their own, who should be sacrosanct, and in them should lie the right to aid the people against the consuls, nor should any patrician be permitted to take this magistracy. And so they chose ... “tribunes of the people."

It is all too easy to dismiss our plebeian order as a simple parody of the "noble" institutions of the patricians; as though our tribunes were mere vulgar imitations of the consuls, and our aediles inferior versions of theirs. And it is an excusable error, for it is one subtly impressed upon us each day. Their magistrates are adorned with sumptuous insignia: soaring eagles and foreboding fasces, draped in lofty gold and purple. Our magistrates, however, are crowned with nothing more than humble sheaves of common wheat.

And yet, we must not let these heraldic distractions lead us astray, for despite their lowly origins the officers of the plebs are by far the more privileged lot. On that day of which Livy speaks, when the Fathers of Rome were forced to come to Aventine and sue for peace, we the Plebs won a great victory. There the people triumphed over the last lingering vestiges of royal tyranny, winning for themselves two powers which restored to them their sovereignty: the law of sacrosanctity, and the veto.

With these inviolable powers in hand, the people were now able to keep in check the fancies of the patrician government. In time their vigilance would even open up to us those very heights of power, so that today little truly divides patrician and pleb.

You, dear tribunes and aediles, have been elected to carry on this vigil. Armed with the highest and holiest authority we have to offer, you mount the walls of Libertas' city to stand guard over her beloved citizens. Your watch is not long—a single year's length—and come daybreak you will be relieved by your brethren, but before then you must not fall into slothful slumber! Through the quiet hours of the night you will yearn for leisure, for rest, for family and friends, but a watchman's duty stands above such concerns. For most of your term the Republic will seem strong and secure, without need of your diligence; but it takes only a moment of idleness for enemies to pierce the walls of freedom and bring ruin to the nation.

I beg you, therefore: be alert! Stay awake! Tend to the watch-fires frequently and faithfully. Do honour to our trust which we confide to you this day. In a year's time I pray that our assembly may welcome you all with applause for your loyal service to the Republic and her people.

I, Paullus Aemilius Gallus, do thank the citizens of the pleb who voted for me and placed their trust in me. I shall endeavour not to disappoint you.Today, I do solemnly declare that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties and responsibilities of Plebeian Aedile on which I am about to enter, that I will, to the best of my ability, serve the Roman Republic, support and defend the Constitution of the Roman Republic and also the rights and the acquis of the pleb.

Today, I do solemnly declare that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties and responsibilities of Tribune of the Plebs on which I have entered. Additionally, I will, to the best of my ability, serve the Roman Republic, support and defend the laws of the Roman Republic and also the rights and the acquis of the pleb.

I also thank the former Tribunes, Laevus and Camillus who have served faithfully and well. We follow in their esteemed footsteps.

I now, with this statement close this session of the Concilium Plebis.